Inbred squash line kaza121

ABSTRACT

A novel squash inbred line, designated KAZA121, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of squash inbred line KAZA121, to the plants of squash inbred line KAZA121 and to methods for producing a squash plant by crossing the squash inbred line KAZA121 with itself or another squash line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a squash plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other squash lines derived from the squash inbred line KAZA121.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive squash inbred line, designated “KAZA121”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The disclosures, including the claims, figures and/or drawings, of each and every patent, patent application, and publication cited herein are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed inventions, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possesses the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety or hybrid an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm.

In squash, these important traits may include increased fruit number, fruit size and fruit weight, higher seed yield, improved color, resistance to pest, diseases and insects, tolerance to drought and heat, better uniformity, higher nutritional value and better agronomic quality such as sugar levels, small cavity size, flesh color or texture, rind firmness, strong net, growth rate, high seed germination, seedling vigor, early fruit maturity, ease of fruit setting, adaptability for soil and climate conditions.

Practically speaking, all cultivated forms of squash belong to species Cucurbita pepo L. that is grown for its edible fruit. As a crop, squash, whether summer or winter squash, are grown commercially wherever environmental conditions permit the production of an economically viable yield. Both are harvested by hand. Squash usually develop a running vine on the soil but today's summer squash have been developed in the form of a short compact bush, making them easier to grow in smaller spaces. On healthy winter squash plants, there is a canopy of large, reniform and serrated leaves, which may be without lobes or with shallow rounded ones. Fruits flesh can be of various shade of yellow. The fruits may have a soft or a hard shell with colors from dull to bright orange fleshed or green fleshed. Summer squash show a great variety of shape, with sizes from small to large and colors from uniform to variegated. The flesh can range from white to dark yellow and, contrary to the winter squash that has a flesh finely grained, bear coarse grains. In the United States, the principal fresh market squash growing regions are California, Florida and Georgia which produce approximately 30,000 acres out of a total annual acreage of more than 57,000 acres (USDA, 2000). Fresh squashes are available in the United States year-round although the greatest supply is from June through October. Summer squash are consumed immature as table vegetables and winter squash are used when ripe as table vegetable or in pie.

Cucurbita pepo is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. The Cucurbitaceae is a family of about 90 genera and 700 to 760 species, mostly of the tropics. The family includes pumpkins, squashes, gourds, watermelon, loofah and several weeds. The genus cucurbita, to which the squash belongs, includes four major species, pepo, mixta, moschata, and maxima, and one minor species, ficifolia. Cucurbita pepo L. refers to what is commonly known as the summer squash such as scallop, zucchini, straightneck and crokneck types and winter squash such as acorn and pumpkin. The term squash itself has a rather large meaning. Generally, it can be said that if the plant produce fruits to be harvested in an immature stage, they are called summer squash, and if the fruits are to be harvested at maturity, they are called winter squash.

Squash is a simple diploid species with twelve pairs of highly differentiated chromosomes. The plants are monoecious, with separate female and male flowers on the same plant. Usually the first four or five flowers produced are male, then the next eight or so are female, followed by a few more male flowers. Male flowers have 3-5 erect stamens bunched within the corolla of 5 fused petals. Female flowers have 3 spreading stigma lobes and an immature fruit (ovary) below the perianth. The spiny, sticky pollen requires insects for pollination. The primary pollinators are bees, particularly honey bees.

Hybrid vigor has been documented in squashes and hybrids are gaining more and more popularity amongst farmers with uniformity of plant characteristics.

Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location may be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly used include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, recurrent selection and backcross breeding.

The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Nevertheless, it is also suitable for the adjustment and selection of morphological character, color characteristics and simply inherited quantitative characters. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.

Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested per se and in hybrid combination and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidates for use as parent in new commercial cultivars. Those still deficient in a few traits may be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.

These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, usually take from eight to twelve years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.

A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and/or to a widely grown standard cultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicated observations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.

The goal of squash breeding is to develop new, unique and superior squash inbred lines and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection, producing many new genetic combinations. Another method used to develop new, unique and superior squash inbred lines and hybrids occurs when the breeder selects and crosses two or more parental lines followed by haploid induction and chromosome doubling that result in the development of dihaploid inbred lines. The breeder can theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing, selfing and mutations and the same is true for the utilization of the dihaploid breeding method.

Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This geimplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic and soil conditions and further selections are then made during and at the end of the growing season. The inbred lines that are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because the breeder's selection occurs in unique environments with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures or dihaploid breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research monies to develop superior new squash inbred lines.

The development of commercial squash hybrids requires the development of homozygous inbred lines, the crossing of these lines and the evaluation of the hybrid crosses.

Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop inbred lines from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more inbred lines or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which inbred lines are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes or through the dihaploid breeding method followed by the selection of desired phenotypes. The new inbreds are crossed with other inbred lines and the hybrids from these crosses are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.

Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement of self-pollinating crops or inbred lines of cross-pollinating crops. Two parents that possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁. An F₂ population is produced by selfing one or several F₁s or by intercrossing two F₁s (sib mating). Selection of the best individuals may begin in the F₂ population; then, beginning in the F₃, the best individuals in the best families are selected. Replicated testing of families, or hybrid combinations involving individuals of these families, often follows in the F₄ generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F₆ and F₇), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new cultivars or as parent of hybrid new cultivars. Similarly, the development of new inbred lines through the dihaploid system requires the selection of the best inbreds followed by four to five years of testing in hybrid combinations in replicated plots.

Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified, or created, by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.

Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simply inherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivar or inbred line which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.

The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, and using the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When the population has been advanced from the F₂ to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F₂ individuals. The number of plants in a population declines each generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plants to produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F₂ plants originally sampled in the population will be represented by a progeny when generation advance is completed.

In a multiple-seed procedure, breeders commonly harvest one or more fruit containing seed from each plant in a population and blend them together to form a bulk seed lot. Part of the bulked seed is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modified single-seed descent or the bulk technique.

The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerably faster than to remove one seed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.

Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., R. W. Allard, 1960, Principles of Plant Breeding, John Wiley and Son, pp. 115-161; N. W. Simmonds, 1979, Principles of Crop Improvement, Longman Group Limited; W. R. Fehr, 1987, Principles of Crop Development, Macmillan Publishing Co.; N. F. Jensen, 1988, Plant Breeding Methodology, John Wiley & Sons).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition to showing superior perfoimance, there must be a demand for a new cultivar that is compatible with industry standards or which creates a new market. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional costs to the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer for special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release of a new cultivar should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.

Once the inbreds that give the best hybrid performance have been identified, the hybrid seed can be reproduced indefinitely as long as the homogeneity of the inbred parent is maintained. A single-cross hybrid is produced when two inbred lines are crossed to produce the F1 progeny. A double-cross hybrid is produced from four inbred lines crossed in pairs (A×B and C×D) and then the two F1 hybrids are crossed again (A×B)×(C×D). Much of the hybrid vigor exhibited by F1 hybrids is lost in the next generation (F2). Consequently, seed from F2 hybrid varieties is generally not used for planting stock.

Mutation breeding is another method of introducing new traits into squash varieties. Mutations that occur spontaneously or are artificially induced can be useful sources of variability for a plant breeder. The goal of artificial mutagenesis is to increase the rate of mutation for a desired characteristic. Mutation rates can be increased by many different means including temperature, long-term seed storage, tissue culture conditions, radiation (such as X-rays, Gamma rays, neutrons, Beta radiation, or ultraviolet radiation), chemical mutagens (such as base analogs like 5-bromo-uracil), antibiotics, alkylating agents (such as sulfur mustards, nitrogen mustards, epoxides, ethyleneamines, sulfates, sulfonates, sulfones, or lactones), azide, hydroxylamine, nitrous acid or acridines. Once a desired trait is observed through mutagenesis the trait may then be incorporated into existing germplasm by traditional breeding techniques. Details of mutation breeding can be found in W. R. Fehr, 1993, Principles of Cultivar Development, Macmillan Publishing Co.

Hybrid squash seed is typically produced by a crossing two homozygous inbred lines that possess favorable complementary traits.

Squash is an important and valuable vegetable crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding squash hybrids that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are obviously to maximize the amount of yield produced on the land. To accomplish this goal, the squash breeder must select and develop squash plants that have the traits that result in superior parental lines for producing superior hybrids.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

According to the invention, there is provided a novel inbred squash line designated KAZA121. This invention thus relates to the seeds of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, to the plants, or part(s) thereof of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, to plants or part(s) thereof consisting essentially of the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, and/or having all the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, and/or having the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121 listed in Table 1, including but not limited to as determined at the 5% significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions. The invention also relates to variants, mutants and trivial modifications of the seed or plant of inbred squash line designated KAZA121. Plant parts of the inbred squash line of the present invention are also provided such as, i.e., a scion, a rootstock, a fruit, pollen obtained from the inbred plant and an ovule obtained from the inbred plant.

The plants and seeds of the present invention include those that may be of an essentially derived variety as defined in section 41(3) of the Plant Variety Protection Act, i.e., a variety that:

(i) is predominantly derived from inbred squash line designated KAZA 121 or from a variety that is predominantly derived from inbred squash line designated KAZA121, while retaining the expression of the essential characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotypes of inbred squash line designated KAZA 121;

(ii) is clearly distinguishable from inbred squash line designated KAZA121; and

(iii) except for differences that result from the act of derivation, conforms to the initial variety in the expression of the essential characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotypes of the initial variety.

In another aspect, the present invention provides regenerable cells for use in tissue culture of inbred squash line designated KAZA121. The tissue culture will preferably be capable of regenerating plants consisting essentially of the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, and/or having all the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, and/or having the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line designated KAZA121. Preferably, the cells of such tissue culture will be embryos, meristematic cells, seeds, stalks, cotyledons, callus, pollen, leaves, anthers, pistils, roots, root tips, flowers, stems and axillary buds. Protoplasts produced from such tissue culture are also included in the present invention. The squash shoots, roots and whole plants regenerated from the tissue culture are also part of the invention.

Also included in the invention are methods for producing a squash plant produced by crossing the inbred squash line designated KAZA121 with itself or another squash line. When crossed with itself, i.e., when crossed with another inbred squash line designated KAZA121 plant or self-pollinated, inbred squash line designated KAZA121 will be conserved (e.g., as an inbred). When crossed with another, different squash line, an F₁ hybrid seed is produced. F₁ hybrid seeds and plants produced by growing said hybrid seeds are included in the present invention. A method for producing an F₁ hybrid squash seed comprising crossing an inbred squash line designated KAZA121 plant with a different squash plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid squash seed are also part of the invention. The hybrid squash seed produced by the method comprising crossing an inbred squash line designated KAZA121 plant with a different squash plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid squash seed, are included in the invention, as are the hybrid squash plant, or part(s) thereof, fruits and seeds produced by growing said hybrid squash seed. In another embodiment, this invention relates to a method for producing the inbred squash line KAZA121 from a collection of seeds, the collection containing both inbred squash line KAZA121 seeds and hybrid seeds having inbred squash line KAZA121 as a parental line. Such a collection of seed might be a commercial bag of seeds. Said method comprises planting the collection of seeds. When planted, the collection of seeds will produce inbred squash line KAZA121 plants from inbred squash line KAZA121 seeds and hybrid plants from hybrid seeds. The plants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of squash inbred squash line KAZA 121 or having a decreased vigor compared to the other plants grown from the collection of seeds are identified as inbred squash line KAZA121 parent plants. Said decreased vigor is due to the inbreeding depression effect and can be identified for example by a less vigorous appearance for vegetative and/or reproductive characteristics including but not limited to shorter plant height, small fruit size, or other characteristics As previously mentioned, if the inbred squash line KAZA121 is self-pollinated, the inbred squash line KAZA121 will be preserved, therefore, the next step is controlling pollination of the inbred parent plants in a manner which preserves the homozygosity of said inbred squash line KAZA121 parent plant and the final step is to harvest the resultant seed.

This invention also relates to methods for producing other inbred squash lines derived from inbred squash line KAZA121 and to the inbred squash lines derived by the use of those methods.

In another aspect, the present invention provides transformed inbred squash line KAZA121 or part(s) thereof that have been transformed so that its genetic material contains one or more transgenes, preferably operably linked to one or more regulatory elements. Also, the invention provides methods for producing a squash plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes, preferably operably linked to one or more regulatory elements, by crossing transformed inbred squash line KAZA121 with either a second plant of another squash line, or a non-transformed squash plant of the inbred squash line KAZA121, so that the genetic material of the progeny that results from the cross contains the transgene(s), preferably operably linked to one or more regulatory elements. The invention also provides methods for producing a squash plant that contains in its genetic material one or more transgene(s), wherein the method comprises crossing the inbred squash line KAZA 121 with a second plant of another squash line which contains one or more transgene(s) operably linked to one or more regulatory element(s) so that the genetic material of the progeny that results from the cross contains the transgene(s) operably linked to one or more regulatory element(s). Transgenic squash plants, or part(s) thereof produced by the methods are in the scope of the present invention.

More specifically, the invention comprises methods for producing squash plants or seeds with at least one trait selected from the group consisting of male sterile, male fertile, herbicide resistant, insect resistant, disease resistant, water stress tolerant, heat stress tolerant, improved shelf-life, delayed senescence squash plants or seeds. Said methods comprise transforming an inbred squash line KAZA121 plant with a nucleic acid molecule that confers, for example, male sterility, male fertility, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, disease resistance, water stress tolerance, heat stress tolerance, improved shelf life or delayed senescence respectively. The transformed squash plants, or part(s) thereof, or seeds, obtained from the provided methods, including, for example, a male sterile squash plant, a male fertile squash plant, an herbicide resistant squash plant, an insect resistant squash plant, a disease resistant squash plant, a squash plant tolerant to water stress, a squash plant tolerant to heat stress, a squash plant with improved shelf-life, a squash plant with improved shelf-life and delayed senescence are included in the present invention. Plants may display one or more of the above listed traits. For the present invention and the skilled artisan, disease is understood to be fungal diseases, viral diseases, bacterial diseases, mycoplasm diseases, or other plant pathogenic diseases and a disease resistant plant will encompass a plant resistant to fungal, viral, bacterial, mycoplasm, and other plant pathogens.

In another aspect, the present invention provides for methods of introducing one or more desired trait(s) into inbred squash line KAZA121 and plants or seeds obtained from such methods. The desired trait(s) may be, but not exclusively, a single gene, preferably a dominant but also a recessive allele. Preferably, the transferred gene or genes will confer such traits as male sterility, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, mycoplasm or viral disease, improved shelf-life, delayed senescence, tolerance to water stress or heat stress and improved nutritional quality such as altered vitamin content. The gene or genes may be naturally occurring gene(s) or transgene(s) introduced through genetic engineering techniques. The method for introducing the desired trait(s) is preferably a backcrossing process making use of a series of backcrosses to the inbred squash line KAZA121 during which the desired trait(s) is maintained by selection.

When using a transgene, the trait is generally not incorporated into each newly developed line such as inbred squash line KAZA 121 by direct transformation. Rather, the more typical method used by breeders of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the transgene is to take a line already carrying the transgene and to use such line as a donor line to transfer the transgene into the newly developed line. The same would apply for a naturally occurring trait or one arising from spontaneous or induced mutations. The backcross breeding process comprises the following steps: (a) crossing inbred squash line KAZA121 plants with plants of another line that comprise the desired trait(s); (b) selecting the F₁ progeny plants that have the desired trait(s); (c) crossing the selected F₁ progeny plants with inbred squash line KAZA121 plants to produce backcross progeny plants; (d) selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the desired trait(s) and physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121 to produce selected backcross progeny plants; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) one, two, three, four, five six, seven, eight, nine, or more times in succession to produce selected, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, or higher backcross progeny plants that consist essentially of the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121, and/or have all the phenotypic and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121, and/or have the desired trait(s) and the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121 as determined in Table 1, including but not limited to at a 5% significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions. The squash plants or seeds produced by the methods are also part of the invention. Backcrossing breeding methods, well-known for one skilled in the art of plant breeding, will be further developed in subsequent parts of the specification.

Any DNA sequence(s), whether from a different species or from the same species that is inserted into the genome using transformation is referred to herein collectively as “transgenes.” In some embodiments of the invention, a transformed variant of KAZA 121 may contain at least one transgene but could contain at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 transgenes. In another embodiment of the invention, a transformed variant of the another squash line used as the other parental line may contain at least one transgene but could contain at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 transgenes.

In an embodiment of this invention is a method of making a backcross conversion of inbred squash line KAZA121, comprising the steps of crossing a plant of squash inbred squash line KAZA121 with a donor plant comprising a gene, a mutant gene or a transgene conferring a desired trait, selecting an F1 progeny plant comprising the gene, the mutant gene or the transgene conferring the desired trait, and backcrossing the selected F1 progeny plant to a plant of inbred squash line KAZA121. This method may further comprise the step of obtaining a molecular marker profile of inbred squash line KAZA121 and using the molecular marker profile to select for a progeny plant with the desired trait and the molecular marker profile of inbred squash line KAZA121. In the same manner, this method may be used to produce an F1 hybrid seed by adding a final step of crossing the desired trait conversion of inbred squash line KAZA121 with a different squash plant to make F1 hybrid squash seed comprising a gene, a mutant gene or a transgene conferring the desired trait.

In some embodiments of the invention, the number of loci that may be backcrossed into inbred squash line KAZA121 is at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. A single locus may contain several transgenes, such as a transgene for disease resistance that, in the same expression vector, also contains a transgene for herbicide resistance. The gene for herbicide resistance may be used as a selectable marker and/or as a phenotypic trait. A single locus conversion of site specific integration system allows for the integration of multiple genes at the converted locus.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides methods for increasing and producing inbred squash line KAZA121 seed, whether by crossing a first squash parent inbred line plant with a second squash parent inbred line plant and harvesting the resultant squash seed, wherein both said first and second inbred parent squash plant are the inbred squash line KAZA121 or by planting a squash seed of the inbred squash line KAZA121, growing an inbred squash line KAZA121 plant from said seed, controlling a self-pollination of the plant where the pollen produced by a grown inbred squash line KAZA121 plant pollinates the ovules produced by the very same inbred squash line KAZA121 grown plant, and harvesting the resultant seed.

The invention further provides methods for developing squash plants in a squash breeding program using plant breeding techniques including recurrent selection, backcrossing, pedigree breeding, molecular markers (Isozyme Electrophoresis, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), Arbitrarily Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs). Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), and Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) which are also referred to as Microsatellites, etc.) enhanced selection, genetic marker enhanced selection, and transformation. Seeds, squash plants, and part(s) thereof produced by such breeding methods are also part of the invention.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by study of the following descriptions.

DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables that follow, a number of terms are used. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided:

Adaptability. A plant that has adaptability is a plant able to grow well in different growing conditions (climate, soils, etc.).

Allele. An allele is any of one or more alternative forms of a gene which relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell or organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing. Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, a first generation hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of the F₁ hybrid.

Earliness. The earliness relates the number of fruits produced from 12 to 15 days following the beginning of the harvest: the more fruits produced, the more earliness of the plant

Easy to pick fruit. A fruit that is easy to pick is a fruit that easily detaches from the plant. Once grabbed and twisted, the fruit will break between the peduncle and the stem. For fruits not easy to pick, the peduncle breaks off the fruits. A fruit that is easy to pick is also a fruit that is easily accessible for harvest. When plants have an open plant habit, the fruits are harvested more easily than when the plants have closed habit.

Essentially all the physiological and morphological characteristics. A plant having essentially all the physiological and morphological characteristics means a plant having the physiological and morphological characteristics, except for the characteristics derived from the converted gene.

Extended harvest. An extended harvest is a plant that produces fruits throughout the harvest season.

Good Seed Producer. A plant is a good seed producer when it produces numerous seeds. For squash, a good seed producing plant will produce an average of 25 grams of seeds during the harvest season.

Immunity to disease(s) and or insect(s). A squash plant which is not subject to attack or infection by specific disease(s) and or insect(s) is considered immune.

Intermediate/Moderate resistance to disease(s) and or insect(s). A squash plant that restricts the growth and development of specific disease(s) and or insect(s), but may exhibit a greater range of symptoms or damage compared to high/standard resistant plants. Intermediate resistant plants will usually show less severe symptoms or damage than susceptible plant varieties when grown under similar environmental conditions and/or specific disease(s) and or insect(s) pressure, but may have heavy damage under heavy pressure. Intermediate resistant squash plants are not immune to the disease(s) and or insect(s).

Mid-Season. The mid-season plant is a plant that is harvested approximately 50 days after sowing. An early plant would have 45 days from planting to harvest while a late one will have 55 days.

Open Plant Habit. An open plant habit is a plant where the fruits are visible without moving the leaves. A plant with closed habit will have its fruit hidden by leaves that have a high density. An average open plant habit will be between the open and closed habit, and the plant will have medium leaf density. Whether a plant has open habit or closed habit is based on the whole of the plant. The more erect the plant, the more compact and therefore the closer the habit. In contrast, when the plant is lodging, sprawling on the ground, it leads to a less compact plant, therefore more “open”.

Plant Habit. A plant can be an upright plant (also called erect) or can be lodging on the ground. It can also be pendant.

Squash Yield (Tons/Acre). The yield in tons/acre is the actual yield of the squash at harvest.

Plant adaptability. A plant having good plant adaptability means a plant that will perform well in different growing conditions and seasons.

Plant cell. As used herein, the teem “plant cell” includes plant cells whether isolated, in tissue culture, or incorporated in a plant or plant part.

Plant part. As used herein, the term “plant part” includes any part of the plant including but not limited to leaves, heads, stems, roots, seed, embryos, pollen, ovules, flowers, root tips, anthers, tissue, cells, axillary buds, rootstock, scion, fruits and the like.

Regeneration. Regeneration refers to the development of a plant from tissue culture.

Ribs. The ribs on the fruit may be prominent, inconspicuous or nonexistent. They refer to the ridges along the fruit mostly near the peduncle.

High/standard resistance to disease(s) and or insect(s). A squash plant that restricts highly the growth and development of specific disease(s) and or insect(s) under normal disease(s) and or insect(s) attack pressure when compared to susceptible plants. These squash plants can exhibit some symptoms or damage under heavy disease(s) and or insect(s) pressure. Resistant squash plants are not immune to the disease(s) and or insect(s).

RHS. RHS refers to the Royal Horticultural Society of England which publishes an official botanical color chart quantitatively identifying colors according to a defined numbering system. The chart may be purchased from Royal Hort. Society Enterprise Ltd. RHS Garden; Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU236QB, UK.

Single gene converted (conversion). Single gene converted (conversion) plants refer to plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to the single gene transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique or via genetic engineering.

Susceptible to disease(s) and or insect(s). A squash plant that is susceptible to disease(s) and or insect(s) is defined as a squash plant that has the inability to restrict the growth and development of specific disease(s) and or insect(s). Plants that are susceptible will show damage when infected and are more likely to have heavy damage under moderate levels of specific disease(s) and or insect(s).

Tolerance to abiotic stresses. A squash plant that is tolerant to abiotic stresses has the ability to endure abiotic stress without serious consequences for growth, appearance and yield.

Small plant. A small plant has short internodes with petiole lengths of approximately 40 cm and a plant height of 40 to 60 cm. It depends on how the plant spreads out horizontally or vertically.

Large plant. A large plant has long internodes with a plant height of 75 cm and above. It depends on how the plant spreads out horizontally or vertically.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Inbred squash line KAZA121 has superior characteristics and was developed from the cross No. AD007 of plot 99 854.1*853.1/1 made in spring at the Clause Tezier Research Station in Maninet, France

Individual plants were selected among the AD007 cross progenies and self-pollinated in March. The plants obtained therefrom were selected and self pollinated in September. This breeding scheme was repeated over four years, two generations per year. This pedigree selection was aimed for vigorous, erected plant, black fruit and high production and resistance for Powdery Mildew and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus.

In April of the fourth year, the plant AD007.12.14.3.4.9.3.7.5 was finally selected and bulked. The line was designated as inbred line KAZA 121.

KAZA121 is similar to Black Magic with black fruit color and good adaptation to spring and counter season conditions. Nevertheless, KAZA121 is more vigorous with a better plant habit, the plants being more erected and more open. The fruit quality of KAZA121 is also much better, the fruits being longer and more shinny. The fruit production is also higher for KAZA121 when compared to Black Magic

Inbred squash KAZA121 is a black zucchini summer squash with superior characteristics. It provides an excellent parental line in crosses for producing first generation hybrid squash.

KAZA121 is particularly suitable to produce dark green to black zucchini hybrids bests adapted to spring and counter seasonin Mexico, Florida and Europe (Spain, Italy). However it's superior characteristics and resistance make it usable to produce a wide range of varieties in many other areas such as open field crop for California or Eastern US. At marketable maturity, fruits are fully black, very shiny, cylindrical and very uniform, flower scared is very small. Yield is very high and earliness is outstanding. The inbred plants is also very good, being upright and open with vigor characteristics suitable for counter season.

KAZA121 is resistant to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV) and Powdery Mildew (PM) and tolerant to Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV).

KAZA121 will be used to produce counter season high yielding hybrids, with plants having an open habit, with easy to pick fruits having a black color for Mexico and California to dark green for Eastern US and having resistance to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus and Powdery Mildew and tolerance to Watermelon Mosaic.

During the development of the line, first cross were made for the purpose of combining high yield, good fruit quality and good vigor suitable for counter season.

Some of the selection criteria used for various generations include Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus and Powdery Mildew resistance because such resistances may be of great value in new squash varieties development. PM and ZYMV were evaluated in Maninet (Valence. French Research station) in parallel after each generation to continue only the resistant to both pathogen seeds lot.

The inbred was evaluated further as a line and in numerous crosses by Maninet, Valence. French Research station. The inbred has proven to have a good combining ability in hybrid combinations.

Squash inbred line KAZA121 has shown uniformity and stability for the traits, as described in the following Variety Description Information. It has been self-pollinated a sufficient number of generations with careful attention to uniformity of plant type. The cultivar has been increased with continued observation for uniformity. Several trials showed very good adaptation of the plant in counter-season growing conditions with a very good productivity in the fall and winter greenhouses of Almeria, Spain No variant traits have been observed or are expected for agronomically important traits in squash inbred line KAZA121.

Squash inbred line KAZA121 has the following morphologic and other characteristics (based primarily on data collected at Salinas, Calif.).

TABLE 1 VARIETY DESCRIPTION INFORMATION SPECIES: pepo KIND: squash TYPE: summer COTYLEDONS Shape: elliptic Green color of cotyledons: dark PLANT Growth habit: bush Branching: absent Attitude of petiole: horizontal LEAVES Leaf blade size: medium Leaf blade incisions: deep Intensity of green color of upper surface: dark Silvery patches: present Relative area covered by silvery patches: large Leaf surface: blistered PETIOLE Number of prickles: few FRUIT (at market maturity): Fruit general shape: cylindrical Apex: flattened Base: rounded Ribs: present Protrusion of ribs: medium Color of ribs compared to main color of skin: same Grooves: none Stripes: absent Fruit surface: smooth Warts: absent Size of flower scar: very small Main color of skin: green Intensity of green color of skin: very dark Fruit length: medium Fruit ratio length/maximum diameter: medium Dots: present Size of main dots: very small Length of pedoncule: short Color of pedoncule: green Intensity of green color of pedoncule: medium Molting of pedoncule: present RIND Rind color: black green SEEDS: Size: medium Shape: elliptic Hull: present Appearance of hull: fully developed Length: 12.7 mm Width: 7.1 mm Thickness: 2.8 mm Face surface: smooth Color: cream Number of seeds per fruit: 106 Weight of 100 seeds: 10.2 gm DISEASE RESISTANCE Rating (1 = susceptible-2 = tolerant-3 = resistant) Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV): 1 Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV): 3 Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV): 2 Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV): 1 Squash Leaf Curl Virus (SLCV): 1 Powdery mildew: 3

FURTHER EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention also is directed to methods for producing a squash plant by crossing a first parent squash plant with a second parent squash plant wherein either the first or second parent squash plant is an inbred squash plant of inbred squash line KAZA121. Further, both first and second parent squash plants can come from the inbred squash line KAZA121. When self pollinated, or crossed with another squash inbred line KAZA 121 plant, the inbred squash plant KAZA121 will be stable, while when crossed with another, different squash line, an F₁ hybrid seed is produced. Such methods of hybridization and self-pollination are well known to those skilled in the art of breeding. See, for example, Fehr and Hadley, eds., Chapter 17: 273-284, American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America, Publishers.

An inbred squash line has been produced through several cycles of self-pollination and is therefore to be considered as a homozygous line. An inbred line can also be produced though the dihaploid system which involves doubling the chromosomes from a haploid plant or embryo thus resulting in an inbred line that is genetically stable (homozygous) and can be reproduced without altering the inbred line: Haploid plants could be obtained from haploid embryos that might be produced from microspores, pollen, anther cultures or ovary cultures. The haploid embryos may then be doubled by chemical treatments such as by colchicine or be doubled autonomously. The haploid embryos may also be grown into haploid plants and treated to induce the chromosome doubling. In either cases, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. A hybrid variety is classically created through the fertilization of an ovule from an inbred parental line by the pollen of another, different inbred parental line. Due to the homozygous state of the inbred line, the produced gametes carry a copy of each parental chromosome. As both the ovule and the pollen bring a copy of the arrangement and organization of the genes present in the parental lines, the genome of each parental line is present in the resulting F1 hybrid, theoretically in the arrangement and organization created by the plant breeder in the original parental line.

As long as the homozygosity of the parental lines is maintained, the resulting hybrid cross is stable. The F1 hybrid is then a combination of phenotypic characteristics issued from two arrangement and organization of genes, both created by one skilled in the art through the breeding process.

Still further, this invention is also directed to methods for producing an inbred squash line KAZA121-derived squash plant by crossing inbred squash line KAZA121 with a second squash plant and growing the progeny seed, and repeating the crossing and growing steps with the inbred squash line KAZA121-derived plant from 0 to 7 times. Thus, any such methods using the inbred squash line KAZA121 are part of this invention: selfing, backcrosses, hybrid production, crosses to populations, and the like. All plants produced using inbred squash line KAZA121 as a parent are within the scope of this invention, including plants derived from inbred squash line KAZA121. Such plants might exhibit additional and desired characteristics or traits such as high seed yield, high seed germination, seedling vigor, early fruit maturity, high fruit yield, ease of fruit setting, disease tolerance or resistance, and adaptability for soil and climate conditions. Consumer-driven traits, such as a preference for a given fruit size, shape, color, texture, and taste, especially non-pungency (low capsaicinoid content) or increased vitamin content, are other traits that may be incorporated into new squash plants developed by this invention.

Particularly desirable traits that may be incorporated by this invention are improved resistance to different viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens such as resistance to Powdery Mildew (PM), Zucchini Yellow Mosaic virus (ZYMV), Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV), Squash Leaf Curl Virus (SLCV), Papaya Ringspot Virus (PRSV)

Improved resistance to insect pests is another desirable trait that may be incorporated into new squash plants developed by this invention. Insect pests affecting the various species of squash include the European corn borer, corn earworm, aphids, flea beetles, whiteflies, and mites (Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, 2003).

Advantageously, the cultivar is used in crosses with other, different, cultivars to produce first generation (F₁) squash hybrid seeds and plants with superior characteristics.

As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cell tissue cultures from which squash plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, ovules, flowers, seeds, heads, stems, roots, anthers, pistils, root tips, leaves, meristematic cells, axillary buds and the like. As it is well known in the art, tissue culture of squash can be used for the in vitro regeneration of squash plants. Tissues cultures of various tissues of squash and regeneration of plants therefrom are well known and published. By way of example, a tissue culture comprising organs has been used to produce regenerated plants as described in Kintzios et al., Acta Horticulturae. 1998, 461, 427-432, Chee-PP. Hort Science, 1992, 27: 1, 59-60, Chee-PP. Plant Cell Report 1991, 9: 11, 620-622, Juretic et al., Plant Cell Report. 1991, 9: 11, 623-626, Rakoczy et al., Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 1989, 18: 2, 191-194, Hegazi H H. Arab University Journal of Agricultural Science. 1999, 7: 2, 507-520, also Schroder, Bot. Gaz. 129:374-376 (1968) reported the production of embryogenic tissue from pericarp tissues of squash. Jelaska, Planta 103:278-280 (1972) and Acta Bot. Croat. 32: 81-94 (1973) reported somatic embryogenesis in hypocotyl and cotyledon-derived callus of pumpkins and demonstrated that embryos could develop into normal plants. Pink et al., Sci. Hortic. 24:107-114 (1984) reported a rapid propagation method for pumpkin through apical meristem culture. See also Toppi et al., Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 51:2 89-93 (1997) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,157 filed in 1994. Thus, it is clear from the literature that the state of the art is such that these methods of obtaining plants are routinely used and have a very high rate of success. Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide cells which upon growth and differentiation produce squash plants having the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121.

As used herein, the term “tissue culture” indicates a composition comprising isolated cells of the same or a different type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of a plant. Exemplary types of tissue cultures are protoplasts, calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that can generate tissue culture that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, roots, root tips, anthers, pistils, meristematic cells, axillary buds and the like. Means for preparing and maintaining plant tissue culture are well known in the art. By way of example, a tissue culture comprising organs has been used to produce regenerated plants. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,185, 5,973,234, and 5,977,445 describe certain techniques, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

With the advent of molecular biological techniques that have allowed the isolation and characterization of genes that encode specific protein products, scientists in the field of plant biology developed a strong interest in engineering the genome of plants to contain and express foreign genes, or additional, or modified versions of native, or endogenous, genes (perhaps driven by different promoters) in order to alter the traits of a plant in a specific manner. Such foreign additional and/or modified genes are referred to herein collectively as “transgenes.” Over the last fifteen to twenty years several methods for producing transgenic plants have been developed and the present invention, in particular embodiments, also relates to transformed versions of the claimed inbred line. An embodiment of the present invention comprises at least one transformation event in inbred squash line KAZA121.

Plant transformation involves the construction of an expression vector which will function in plant cells. Such a vector comprises DNA comprising a gene under control of, or operatively linked to, a regulatory element (for example, a promoter). The expression vector may contain one or more such operably linked gene/regulatory element combinations. The vector(s) may be in the form of a plasmid and can be used alone or in combination with other plasmids to provide transformed squash plants using transformation methods as described below to incorporate transgenes into the genetic material of the squash plant(s).

Expression Vectors for Squash Transformation: Marker Genes

Expression vectors include at least one genetic marker operably linked to a regulatory element (a promoter, for example) that allows transformed cells containing the marker to be either recovered by negative selection, i.e., inhibiting growth of cells that do not contain the selectable marker gene, or by positive selection, i.e., screening for the product encoded by the genetic marker. Many commonly used selectable marker genes for plant transformation are well known in the transformation arts, and include, for example, genes that code for enzymes that metabolically detoxify a selective chemical agent which may be an antibiotic or an herbicide, or genes that encode an altered target which is insensitive to the inhibitor. A few positive selection methods are also known in the art.

One commonly used selectable marker gene for plant transformation is the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene which, when under the control of plant regulatory signals, confers resistance to kanamycin. Fraley, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 80:4803 (1983). Another commonly used selectable marker gene is the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin. Vanden Elzen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 5:299 (1985).

Additional selectable marker genes of bacterial origin that confer resistance to antibiotics include gentamycin acetyl transferase, streptomycin phosphotransferase and aminoglycoside-3′-adenyl transferase, the bleomycin resistance determinant (Hayford, et al., Plant Physiol., 86:1216 (1988); Jones, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 210:86 (1987); Svab, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 14:197 (1990); Hille, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 7:171 (1986)). Other selectable marker genes confer resistance to herbicides such as glyphosate, glufosinate or bromoxynil (Comai, et al., Nature, 317:741-744 (1985); Gordon-Kamm, et al., Plant Cell, 2:603-618 (1990); and Stalker, et al., Science, 242:419-423 (1988)).

Other selectable marker genes for plant transformation are not of bacterial origin. These genes include, for example, mouse dihydrofolate reductase, plant 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase and plant acetolactate synthase. Eichholtz, et al., Somatic Cell Mol. Genet., 13:67 (1987); Shah, et al., Science, 233:478 (1986); and Charest, et al., Plant Cell Rep., 8:643 (1990).

Another class of marker genes for plant transformation requires screening of presumptively transformed plant cells rather than direct genetic selection of transformed cells for resistance to a toxic substance such as an antibiotic. These genes are particularly useful to quantify or visualize the spatial pattern of expression of a gene in specific tissues and are frequently referred to as reporter genes because they can be fused to a gene or gene regulatory sequence for the investigation of gene expression. Commonly used genes for screening presumptively transformed cells include β-glucuronidase (GUS), β-galactosidase, luciferase, and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (Jefferson, R. A., Plant Mol. Biol. Rep., 5:387 (1987); Teeri, et al., EMBO J., 8:343 (1989); Koncz, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:131 (1987); DeBlock, et al., EMBO J., 3:1681 (1984)).

In vivo methods for visualizing GUS activity that do not require destruction of plant tissue are available. However, these in vivo methods for visualizing GUS activity have not proven useful for recovery of transformed cells because of low sensitivity, high fluorescent backgrounds and limitations associated with the use of luciferase genes as selectable markers.

A gene encoding Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has been utilized as a marker for gene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (Chalfie, et al., Science, 263:802 (1994)). GFP and mutants of GFP may be used as screenable markers.

Expression Vectors for Squash Transformation: Promoters

Genes included in expression vectors must be driven by a nucleotide sequence comprising a regulatory element, for example, a promoter. Several types of promoters are well known in the transformation arts as are other regulatory elements that can be used alone or in combination with promoters.

As used herein, “promoter” includes reference to a region of DNA upstream from the start of transcription and involved in recognition and binding of RNA polymerase and other proteins to initiate transcription. A “plant promoter” is a promoter capable of initiating transcription in plant cells. Examples of promoters under developmental control include promoters that preferentially initiate transcription in certain tissues, such as leaves, roots, seeds, fibers, xylem vessels, tracheids, or sclerenchyma. Such promoters are referred to as “tissue-preferred.” Promoters that initiate transcription only in a certain tissue are referred to as “tissue-specific.” A “cell-type” specific promoter primarily drives expression in certain cell types in one or more organs, for example, vascular cells in roots or leaves. An “inducible” promoter is a promoter which is under environmental control. Examples of environmental conditions that may effect transcription by inducible promoters include anaerobic conditions or the presence of light. Tissue-specific, tissue-preferred, cell-type specific, and inducible promoters constitute the class of “non-constitutive” promoters. A “constitutive” promoter is a promoter that is active under most environmental conditions.

A. Inducible Promoters—An inducible promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash. Optionally, the inducible promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash. With an inducible promoter the rate of transcription increases in response to an inducing agent.

Any inducible promoter can be used in the instant invention. See, Ward, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 22:361-366 (1993). Exemplary inducible promoters include, but are not limited to, that from the ACEI system which responds to copper (Mett, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90:4567-4571 (1993)); In2 gene from maize which responds to benzenesulfonamide herbicide safeners (Gatz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 243:32-38 (1994)), or Tet repressor from Tn10 (Gatz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 227:229-237 (1991)). A particularly preferred inducible promoter is a promoter that responds to an inducing agent to which plants do not noiinally respond. An exemplary inducible promoter is the inducible promoter from a steroid hormone gene, the transcriptional activity of which is induced by a glucocorticosteroid hoinione (Schena, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 88:0421 (1991)).

B. Constitutive Promoters—A constitutive promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash or the constitutive promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash.

Many different constitutive promoters can be utilized in the instant invention. Exemplary constitutive promoters include, but are not limited to, the promoters from plant viruses such as the 35S promoter from CaMV (Odell, et al., Nature, 313:810-812 (1985)) and the promoters from such genes as rice actin (McElroy, et al., Plant Cell 2, 163-171 (1990)); ubiquitin (Christensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 12:619-632 (1989) and Christensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 18:675-689 (1992)); pEMU (Last, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 81:581-588 (1991)); MAS (Velten, et al., EMBO J., 3:2723-2730 (1984)) and maize H3 histone (Lepetit, et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 231:276-285 (1992) and Atanassova, et al., Plant Journal, 2 (3):291-300 (1992)). The ALS promoter, XbaI/NcoI fragment 5′ to the Brassica napus ALS3 structural gene (or a nucleotide sequence similarity to said XbaI/NcoI fragment), represents a particularly useful constitutive promoter. See, PCT Application WO 96/30530.

C. Tissue-specific or Tissue-preferred Promoters—A tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash. Optionally, the tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in squash. Plants transformed with a gene of interest operably linked to a tissue-specific promoter produce the protein product of the transgene exclusively, or preferentially, in a specific tissue.

Any tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoter can be utilized in the instant invention. Exemplary tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoters include, but are not limited to, a root-preferred promoter such as that from the phaseolin gene (Murai, et al., Science, 23:476-482 (1983) and Sengupta-Gopalan, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:3320-3324 (1985)); a leaf-specific and light-induced promoter such as that from cab or rubisco (Simpson, et al., EMBO J., 4(11):2723-2729 (1985) and Timko, et al., Nature, 318:579-582 (1985)); an anther-specific promoter such as that from LAT52 (Twell, et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 217:240-245 (1989)); a pollen-specific promoter such as that from Zm13 or a microspore-preferred promoter such as that from apg (Twell, et al., Sex. Plant Reprod., 6:217-224 (1993)).

Signal Sequences for Targeting Proteins to Subcellular Compartments

Transport of protein produced by transgenes to a subcellular compartment such as the chloroplast, vacuole, peroxisome, glyoxysome, cell wall, or mitochondrion or for secretion into the apoplast, is accomplished by means of operably linking the nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence to the 5′ and/or 3′ region of a gene encoding the protein of interest. Targeting sequences at the 5′ and/or 3′ end of the structural gene may determine during protein synthesis and processing where the encoded protein is ultimately compartmentalized.

The presence of a signal sequence directs a polypeptide to either an intracellular organelle or subcellular compartment or for secretion to the apoplast. Many signal sequences are known in the art. See, for example, Becker, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 20:49 (1992); Knox, C., et al., “Structure and Organization of Two Divergent Alpha-Amylase Genes from Barley,” Plant Mol. Biol., 9:3-17 (1987); Lerner, et al., Plant Physiol., 91:124-129 (1989); Fontes, et al., Plant Cell, 3:483-496 (1991); Matsuoka, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 88:834 (1991); Gould, et al., J. Cell. Biol., 108:1657 (1989); Creissen, et al., Plant J., 2:129 (1991); Kalderon, et al., Cell, 39:499-509 (1984); Steifel, et al., “Expression of a maize cell wall hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein gene in early leaf and root vascular differentiation,” Plant Cell, 2:785-793 (1990).

Foreign Protein Genes and Agronomic Genes

With transgenic plants according to the present invention, a foreign protein can be produced in commercial quantities. Thus, techniques for the selection and propagation of transformed plants, which are well understood in the art, yield a plurality of transgenic plants which are harvested in a conventional manner, and a foreign protein then can be extracted from a tissue of interest or from total biomass. Protein extraction from plant biomass can be accomplished by known methods which are discussed, for example, by Heney and Orr, Anal. Biochem., 114:92-6 (1981).

According to a preferred embodiment, the transgenic plant provided for commercial production of foreign protein is a squash plant. In another preferred embodiment, the biomass of interest is seed. For the relatively small number of transgenic plants that show higher levels of expression, a genetic map can be generated, primarily via conventional RFLP, PCR and SSR analysis, which identifies the approximate chromosomal location of the integrated DNA molecule. For exemplary methodologies in this regard, see Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson Eds., CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, 269:284 (1993). Map information concerning chromosomal location is useful for proprietary protection of a subject transgenic plant. If unauthorized propagation is undertaken and crosses made with other germplasm, the map of the integration region can be compared to similar maps for suspect plants, to determine if the latter have a common parentage with the subject plant. Map comparisons would involve hybridizations, RFLP, PCR, SSR, and sequencing, all of which are conventional techniques.

Likewise, by means of the present invention, agronomic genes can be expressed in transformed plants. More particularly, plants can be genetically engineered to express various phenotypes of agronomic interest. Exemplary genes implicated in this regard include, but are not limited to, those categorized below:

1. Genes That Confer Resistance to Pests or Disease and That Encode:

A. Plant disease resistance genes. Plant defences are often activated by specific interaction between the product of a disease resistance gene (R) in the plant and the product of a corresponding avirulence (Avr) gene in the pathogen. A plant variety can be transformed with one or more cloned resistance genes to engineer plants that are resistant to specific pathogen strains. See, for example, Jones, et al., Science, 266:789 (1994) (cloning of the tomato Cf-9 gene for resistance to Cladosporium fulvum); Martin, et al., Science, 262:1432 (1993) (tomato Pto gene for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato encodes a protein kinase); Mindrinos, et al., Cell, 78:1089 (1994) (Arabidopsis RSP2 gene for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae).

B. A Bacillus thuringiensis protein, a derivative thereof or a synthetic polypeptide modelled thereon. See, for example, Geiser, et al., Gene, 48:109 (1986), who disclose the cloning and nucleotide sequence of a Bt 3-endotoxin gene. Moreover, DNA molecules encoding δ-endotoxin genes can be purchased from American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va., for example, under ATCC Accession Nos. 40098, 67136, 31995, and 31998.

C. A lectin. See, for example, Van Damme, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:25 (1994), who disclose the nucleotide sequences of several Clivia miniata mannose-binding lectin genes.

D. A vitamin-binding protein such as avidin. See, PCT Application US 93/06487 which teaches the use of avidin and avidin homologues as larvicides against insect pests.

E. An enzyme inhibitor, for example, a protease or proteinase inhibitor or an amylase inhibitor. See, for example, Abe, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 262:16793 (1987) (nucleotide sequence of rice cysteine proteinase inhibitor); Huub, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:985 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding tobacco proteinase inhibitor I); Sumitani, et al., Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 57:1243 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of Streptomyces nitrosporeus α-amylase inhibitor).

F. An insect-specific hormone or pheromone such as an ecdysteroid or juvenile hormone, a variant thereof, a mimetic based thereon, or an antagonist or agonist thereof. See, for example, the disclosure by Hammock, et al., Nature, 344:458 (1990), of baculovirus expression of cloned juvenile hormone esterase, an inactivator of juvenile hormone.

G. An insect-specific peptide or neuropeptide which, upon expression, disrupts the physiology of the affected pest. For example, see the disclosure of Pratt, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 163:1243 (1989) (an allostatin is identified in Diploptera puntata). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,317 to Tomalski, et al., which discloses genes encoding insect-specific, paralytic neurotoxins.

H. An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a wasp, etc. For example, see Pang, et al., Gene, 116:165 (1992), for disclosure of heterologous expression in plants of a gene coding for a scorpion insectotoxic peptide.

I. An enzyme responsible for a hyperaccumulation of a monoterpene, a sesquiterpene, a steroid, hydroxamic acid, a phenylpropanoid derivative or another non-protein molecule with insecticidal activity.

J. An enzyme involved in the modification, including the post-translational modification, of a biologically active molecule, for example, a glycolytic enzyme, a proteolytic enzyme, a lipolytic enzyme, a nuclease, a cyclase, a transaminase, an esterase, a hydrolase, a phosphatase, a kinase, a phosphorylase, a polymerase, an elastase, a chitinase, and a glucanase, whether natural or synthetic. See, PCT Application WO 93/02197 (Scott, et al.), which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a callase gene. DNA molecules which contain chitinase-encoding sequences can be obtained, for example, from the ATCC under Accession Nos. 39637 and 67152. See also, Kramer, et al., Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol., 23:691 (1993), who teach the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding tobacco hornworm chitinase, and Kawalleck, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:673 (1993), who provide the nucleotide sequence of the parsley ubi4-2 polyubiquitin gene.

K. A molecule that stimulates signal transduction. For example, see the disclosure by Botella, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:757 (1994), of nucleotide sequences for mung bean calmodulin cDNA clones, and Griess, et al., Plant Physiol., 104:1467 (1994), who provide the nucleotide sequence of a maize calmodulin cDNA clone.

L. A hydrophobic moment peptide. See, PCT Application WO 95/16776, which discloses peptide derivatives of tachyplesin which inhibit fungal plant pathogens, and PCT Application WO 95/18855, which teaches synthetic antimicrobial peptides that confer disease resistance.

M. A membrane permease, a channel fomier, or a channel blocker. For example, see the disclosure of Jaynes, et al., Plant Sci, 89:43 (1993), of heterologous expression of a cecropin-β lytic peptide analog to render transgenic tobacco plants resistant to Pseudomonas solanacearum.

N. A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived therefrom. For example, the accumulation of viral coat proteins in transformed plant cells imparts resistance to viral infection and/or disease development effected by the virus from which the coat protein gene is derived, as well as by related viruses. See, Beachy, et al., Ann. Rev. Phytopathol., 28:451 (1990). Coat protein-mediated resistance has been conferred upon transformed plants against alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus and tobacco streak virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y, tobacco etch virus, tobacco rattle virus, and tobacco mosaic virus. Id.

O. An insect-specific antibody or an immunotoxin derived therefrom. Thus, an antibody targeted to a critical metabolic function in the insect gut would inactivate an affected enzyme, killing the insect.

P. A virus-specific antibody. See, for example, Tavladoraki, et al., Nature, 366:469 (1993), who show that transgenic plants expressing recombinant antibody genes are protected from virus attack.

Q. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a pathogen or a parasite. Thus, fungal endo-α-1,4-D-polygalacturonases facilitate fungal colonization and plant nutrient release by solubilising plant cell wall homo-α-1,4-D-galacturonase. See, Lamb, et al., Bio/Technology, 10:1436 (1992).

R. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a plant. For example, Logemann, et al., Bio/Technology, 10:305 (1992), have shown that transgenic plants expressing the barley ribosome-inactivating gene have an increased resistance to fungal disease.

S. Genes involved in the Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) Response and/or the pathogenesis-related genes. Briggs, S., “Plant disease resistance. Grand unification system theory in sight,” Current Biology, 5(2) (1995).

T. Antifungal genes. See, Cornelissen and Melchers, “Strategies for Control of Fungal Diseases with Transgenic. Plants,” Plant Physiol., 101:709-712 (1993); and Bushnell, et al., “Genetic Engineering of Disease Resistance in Cereal,” Can. J. of Plant Path., 20(2):137-149 (1998).

2. Genes That Confer Resistance to an Herbicide, for example:

A. An herbicide that inhibits the growing point or meristem, such as an imidazolinone or a sulfonylurea. Exemplary genes in this category code for mutant ALS and AHAS enzyme as described, for example, by Lee, et al., EMBO J., 7:1241 (1988), and Miki, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 80:449 (1990), respectively.

B. Glyphosate (resistance conferred by mutant 5-enolpyruvlshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) and aroA genes, respectively) and other phosphono compounds such as glufosinate (phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) and Streptomyces hygroscopicus PAT bar genes), and pyridinoxy or phenoxy proprionic acids and cyclohexones (ACCase inhibitor-encoding genes). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,835 to Shah, et al., which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a form of EPSPS which can confer glyphosate resistance. A DNA molecule encoding a mutant aroA gene can be obtained under ATCC Accession No. 39256, and the nucleotide sequence of the mutant gene is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,061 to Comai. European Patent Application No. 0 333 033 to Kumada, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,374 to Goodman, et al., disclose nucleotide sequences of glutamine synthetase genes which confer resistance to herbicides such as L-phosphinothricin. See also, Russel, D. R., et al., Plant Cell Report, 12:3 165-169 (1993). The nucleotide sequence of a phosphinothricin-acetyl-transferase (PAT) gene is provided in European Application No. 0 242 246 to Leemans, et al. DeGreef, et al., Bio/Technology, 7:61 (1989) describe the production of transgenic plants that express chimeric bar genes coding for phosphinothricin acetyl transferase activity. Exemplary of genes conferring resistance to phenoxy proprionic acids and cyclohexones, such as sethoxydim and haloxyfop, are the Acc1-S1, Acc1-S2, and Acc2-S3 genes described by Marshall, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 83:435 (1992).

C. An herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis, such as a triazine (psbA and gs+ genes) and a benzonitrile (nitrilase gene). Przibila, et al., Plant Cell, 3:169 (1991), describe the transformation of Chlamydomonas with plasmids encoding mutant psbA genes. Nucleotide sequences for nitrilase genes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,648 to Stalker and DNA molecules containing these genes are available under ATCC Accession Nos. 53435, 67441, and 67442. Cloning and expression of DNA coding for a glutathione S-transferase is described by Hayes, et al., Biochem. J., 285:173 (1992).

D. Acetohydroxy acid synthase, which has been found to make plants that express this enzyme resistant to multiple types of herbicides, has been introduced into a variety of plants. See, Hattori, et al., “An Acetohydroxy acid synthase mutant reveals a single site involved in multiple herbicide resistance,” Mol. Gen. Genet., 246:419-425 (1995). Other genes that confer tolerance to herbicides include a gene encoding a chimeric protein of rat cytochrome P4507A1 and yeast NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (Shiota, et al., “Herbicide-resistant Tobacco Plants Expressing the Fused Enzyme between Rat Cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) and Yeast NADPH-Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase,” Plant Physiol., 106:17 (1994)), genes for glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase (Aono, et al., “Paraquat tolerance of transgenic Nicotiana tabacum with enhanced activities of glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase,” Plant Cell Physiol., 36:1687 (1995)), and genes for various phosphotransferases (Datta, et al., “Herbicide-resistant Indica rice plants from IRRI breeding line IR72 after PEG-mediated transformation of protoplants,” Plant Mol. Biol., 20:619 (1992).

E. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) is necessary for the production of chlorophyll, which is necessary for all plant survival. The protox enzyme serves as the target for a variety of herbicidal compounds. These herbicides also inhibit growth of all the different species of plants present, causing their total destruction. The development of plants containing altered protox activity which are resistant to these herbicides are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,288,306, 6,282,837, 5,767,373, and International Publication WO 01/12825.

3. Genes That Confer or Contribute to a Value-Added Trait, such as:

A. Increased iron content of the squash, for example by transforming a plant with a soybean ferritin gene as described in Goto et al., Acta Horticulturae, 521, 101-109 (2000).

C. Increased sweetness of the squash by transferring a gene coding for monellin that elicits a flavor 100,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molar basis. See Penarrubia et al., Biotechnology, 10: 5, 561-564 (1992).

D. Delayed senescence or browning by transferring a gene or acting on the transcription of a gene involved in the plant senescence. See Wang et al. In Plant Mol. Bio, 52:1223-1235 (2003) on the role of the deoxyhypusine synthase in the senescence. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,182 issued Mar. 25, 2003.

Methods for Squash Transformation

Numerous methods for plant transformation have been developed including biological and physical plant transformation protocols. See, for example, Miki, et al., “Procedures for Introducing Foreign DNA into Plants,” in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson Eds., CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 67-88 (1993). In addition, expression vectors and in-vitro culture methods for plant cell or tissue transformation and regeneration of plants are available. See, for example, Gruber, et al., “Vectors for Plant Transformation” in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson Eds., CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 89-119 (1993).

A. Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation—One method for introducing an expression vector into plants is based on the natural transformation system of Agrobacterium. See, for example, Horsch, et al., Science, 227:1229 (1985); Diant, et al., Molecular Breeding, 3:1, 75-86 (1997). A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes are plant pathogenic soil bacteria which genetically transform plant cells. The Ti and Ri plasmids of A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes, respectively, carry genes responsible for genetic transformation of the plant. See, for example, Kado, C. I., Crit. Rev. Plant Sci., 10:1 (1991). Descriptions of Agrobacterium vector systems and methods for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer are provided by Gruber, et al., supra, Miki, et al., supra, and Moloney, et al., Plant Cell Reports, 8:238 (1989). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,616 issued Jan. 7, 1997.

B. Direct Gene Transfer—Despite the fact the host range for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is broad, some cereal or vegetable crop species and gymnospeinis have generally been recalcitrant to this mode of gene transfer, even though some success has been achieved in rice and corn. Hiei, et al., The Plant Journal, 6:271-282 (1994) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,616 issued Jan. 7, 1997. Several methods of plant transformation, collectively referred to as direct gene transfer, have been developed as an alternative to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A generally applicable method of plant transformation is microprojectile-mediated transformation where DNA is carried on the surface of microprojectiles measuring 1 to 4 microns. The expression vector is introduced into plant tissues with a biolistic device that accelerates the microprojectiles to speeds of 300 to 600 m/s which is sufficient to penetrate plant cell walls and membranes. Russell, D. R., et al., Pl. Cell. Rep., 12, 165-169 (3 Jan. 1993); Aragao, F. J. L., et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 20, 357-359 (2 Oct. 1992); Aragao, Theor. Appl. Genet., 93:142-150 (1996); Kim, J.; Minamikawa, T., Plant Science, 117:131-138 (1996); Sanford, et al., Part. Sci. Technol., 5:27 (1987); Sanford, J. C., Trends Biotech., 6:299 (1988); Klein, et al., Bio/Tech., 6:559-563 (1988); Sanford, J. C., Physiol Plant, 7:206 (1990); Klein, et al., Biotechnology, 10:268 (1992).

Another method for physical delivery of DNA to plants is sonication of target cells. Zhang, et al., Bio/Technology, 9:996 (1991). Alternatively, liposome and spheroplast fusion have been used to introduce expression vectors into plants. Deshayes, et al., EMBO J., 4:2731 (1985); Christou, et al., Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:3962 (1987). Direct uptake of DNA into protoplasts using CaCl₂ precipitation, polyvinyl alcohol or poly-L-ornithine have also been reported. Hain, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:161 (1985) and Draper, et al., Plant Cell Physiol., 23:451 (1982). Electroporation of protoplasts and whole cells and tissues have also been described Saker, M. and Kuhne, T., Biologia Plantarum, 40(4):507-514 (1997/98); D'Halluin, et al., Plant Cell, 4:1495-1505 (1992); and Spencer, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 24:51-61 (1994)).

Following transformation of squash target tissues, expression of the above-described selectable marker genes allows for preferential selection of transformed cells, tissues and/or plants, using regeneration and selection methods well known in the art.

The foregoing methods for transformation would typically be used for producing a transgenic inbred line. The transgenic inbred line could then be crossed with another (non-transformed or transformed) inbred line in order to produce a new transgenic inbred line. Alternatively, a genetic trait that has been engineered into a particular squash line using the foregoing transformation techniques could be moved into another line using traditional backcrossing techniques that are well known in the plant breeding arts. For example, a backcrossing approach could be used to move an engineered trait from a public, non-elite inbred line into an elite inbred line, or from an inbred line containing a foreign gene in its genome into a inbred line or lines that do not contain that gene. As used herein, “crossing” can refer to a simple X by Y cross or the process of backcrossing depending on the context.

Backcrossing

When the term inbred squash plant is used in the context of the present invention, this also includes inbred squash plant where one or more desired traits has been introduced through backcrossing methods, whether such trait is a naturally occurring one or a transgenic one. Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improve or introduce a characteristic into the inbred. The term “backcrossing” as used herein refers to the repeated crossing of a hybrid progeny back to the recurrent parent, i.e., backcrossing one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or more times to the recurrent parent. The parental squash plant which contributes the gene for the desired characteristic is teemed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers to the fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcross protocol and therefore does not recur. The parental squash plant to which the gene or genes from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in the backcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original inbred of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second inbred (nonrecurrent parent) that carries the gene or genes of interest to be transferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until a squash plant is obtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the converted plant, generally determined at a 5% significance level when grown in the same environmental condition, in addition to the gene or genes transferred from the nonrecurrent parent. It has to be noted that some, one, two, three, or more, self-pollination and growing of population might be included between two successive backcrosses. Indeed, an appropriate selection in the population produced by the self-pollination, i.e., selection for the desired trait and physiological and morphological characteristics of the recurrent parent might be equivalent to one, two or even three, additional backcrosses in a continuous series without rigorous selection, saving time, money and effort to the breeder. A non limiting example of such a protocol would be the following: (a) the first generation F₁ produced by the cross of the recurrent parent A by the donor parent B is backcrossed to parent A; (b) selection is practiced for the plants having the desired trait of parent B; (c) selected plants are self-pollinated to produce a population of plants where selection is practiced for the plants having the desired trait of parent B and the physiological and morphological characteristics of parent A; (d) the selected plants are backcrossed one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or more times to parent A to produce selected backcross progeny plants comprising the desired trait of parent B and the physiological and morphological characteristics of parent A. Step (c) may or may not be repeated and included between the backcrosses of step (d).

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for a successful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol is to alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the original inbred. To accomplish this, a gene or genes of the recurrent inbred is modified or substituted with the desired gene from the nonrecurrent parent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desired genetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphological, constitution of the original inbred. The choice of the particular nonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross, one of the major purposes is to add some commercially desirable, agronomical important trait to the plant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristic or trait being altered to determine an appropriate testing protocol. Although backcrossing methods are simplified when the characteristic being transferred is a single gene and dominant allele, multiple genes and recessive allele(s) may also be transferred and therefore, backcross breeding is by no means restricted to character(s) governed by one or a few genes. In fact the number of genes might be less important than the identification of the character(s) in the segregating population. In this instance it may then be necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desired characteristic(s) has been successfully transferred. Such tests encompass visual inspection, simple crossing but also follow up of the characteristic(s) through genetically associated markers and molecular assisted breeding tools. For example, selection of progeny containing the transferred trait is done by direct selection, visual inspection for a trait associated with a dominant allele, while the selection of progeny for a trait that is transferred via a recessive allele requires selfing the progeny to determine which plant carries the recessive allele(s).

Many single gene traits have been identified that are not regularly selected for in the development of a new line but that can be improved by backcrossing techniques. Single gene traits may or may not be transgenic. An example of a gene controlling resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus in squash can be found in a publication of Boiteux L S and de Avila A C, Inheritance of a resistance specific to tomato spotted wilt tospovirus in Capsicum chinense ‘PI 159236’, Euphytica 75, 139-142 (1994). These genes are generally inherited through the nucleus. Some other single gene traits are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,777,196, 5,948,957, and 5,969,212, the disclosures of which are specifically hereby incorporated by reference.

In 1981 the backcross method of breeding accounted for 17% of the total breeding effort for inbred corn line development in the United States, according to, Hallauer, A. R., et al., “Corn Breeding,” Corn and Corn Improvement, No. 18, pp. 463-481 (1988).

The backcross breeding method provides a precise way of improving varieties that excel in a large number of attributes but are deficient in a few characteristics. (Page 150 of the Pr. R. W. Allard's 1960 book, Principles of Plant Breeding, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) The method makes use of a series of backcrosses to the variety to be improved during which the character or the characters in which improvement is sought is maintained by selection. At the end of the backcrossing the gene or genes being transferred unlike all other genes, will be heterozygous. Selfing after the last backcross produces homozygosity for this gene pair(s) and, coupled with selection, will result in a variety with exactly the adaptation, yielding ability, and quality characteristics of the recurrent parent but superior to that parent in the particular characteristic(s) for which the improvement program was undertaken. Therefore, this method provides the plant breeder with a high degree of genetic control of his work.

The backcross method is scientifically exact because the morphological and agricultural features of the improved variety could be described in advance and because the same variety could, if it were desired, be bred a second time by retracing the same steps (Briggs, “Breeding wheats resistant to bunt by the backcross method,” Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron., 22:289-244 (1930)).

Backcrossing is a powerful mechanism for achieving homozygosity and any population obtained by backcrossing must rapidly converge on the genotype of the recurrent parent. When backcrossing is made the basis of a plant breeding program, the genotype of the recurrent parent will be modified only with regards to genes being transferred, which are maintained in the population by selection.

Successful backcrosses are, for example, the transfer of stem rust resistance from ‘Hope’ wheat to ‘Bart’ wheat and even pursuing the backcrosses with the transfer of bunt resistance to create ‘Bart 38’, having both resistances. Also highlighted by Allard is the successful transfer of mildew, leaf spot and wilt resistances in ‘California Common’ alfalfa to create ‘Caliverde’. This new ‘Caliverde’ variety produced through the backcross process is indistinguishable from ‘California Common’ except for its resistance to the three named diseases.

One of the advantages of the backcross method is that the breeding program can be carried out in almost every environment that will allow the development of the character being transferred.

The backcross technique is not only desirable when breeding for disease resistance but also for the adjustment of morphological characters, color characteristics, and simply inherited quantitative characters, such as earliness, plant height, and seed size and shape. In this regard, a medium grain type variety, ‘Calady’, has been produced by Jones and Davis. As dealing with quantitative characteristics, they selected the donor parent with the view of sacrificing some of the intensity of the character for which it was chosen, i.e., grain size. ‘Lady Wright’, a long grain variety was used as the donor parent and ‘Coloro’, a short grain variety as the recurrent parent. After four backcrosses, the medium grain type variety ‘Calady’ was produced.

Deposit Information

A deposit of the squash seed of this invention is maintained by Clause Rue Louis Saillant, Z. I. La Motte, 26800 Portes les Valence, France. In addition, a sample of the squash seed of this invention has been deposited with the National Collections of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB), 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 3RY, United Kingdom.

To satisfy the enablement requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, and to certify that the deposit of the isolated strain of the present invention meets the criteria set forth in 37 CFR 1.801-1.809, Applicants hereby make the following statements regarding the deposited squash line KAZA121 (deposited as NCIMB Accession No. ______):

1. During the pendency of this application, access to the invention will be afforded to the Commissioner upon request;

2. Upon granting of the patent the strain will be available to the public under conditions specified in 37 CFR 1.808;

3. The deposit will be maintained in a public repository for a period of 30 years or 5 years after the last request or for the enforceable life of the patent, whichever is longer;

4. The viability of the biological material at the time of deposit will be tested; and

5. The deposit will be replaced if it should ever become unavailable.

Access to this deposit will be available during the pendency of this application to persons determined by the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks to be entitled thereto under 37 C.F.R. §1.14 and 35 U.S.C. §122. Upon allowance of any claims in this application, all restrictions on the availability to the public of the variety will be irrevocably removed by affording access to a deposit of at least 2,500 seeds of the same variety with the NCIMB.

Tables

In Table 2 the traits and characteristics of inbred KAZA121 are given compared to Black Magic. The data collected are presented for key characteristics and traits. The field tests are experimental trials under supervision of the applicant.

The data was collected during one growing season from field locations in Almeria, Spain.

Table 2:

The first column shows the plant vigor with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very weak, 5 being very strong.

The second column shows the plant habit with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very close, 5 being very open.

The third column shows the fruit color with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very light green, 5 being very dark green.

The fourth column shows the fruit brightness with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very dull, 5 being very shinny

The fifth column shows the fruit length with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 is being very short, 5 being very long

The six column shows the earliness with an average of fruit per plant after 12 days of harvest;

TABLE 2 Characteristic Comparisons for Field Trials in Spain, in Almeria area. Open/ Earliness Plant close Fruit Fruit (total Name vigor plant color Brightness length fruit/pl) KAZA121 4 4 5 4 4 5 Black Magic 3 2 5 2 3 2.2

In tables 3 and 4 that follow, the traits and characteristics of hybrid containing inbred squash KAZA121 as a parent are given compared to other hybrids. The data collected are presented for key characteristics and traits. The field tests are experimental trials under supervision of the applicant. The hybrid TOSCA, CORA and CRONOS are hybrid checks while VN172, VL502, VK119 and VM936 are hybrids having KAZ121 as a parent.

The data was collected during one growing season from field locations in Almeria, Spain.

The first column shows the plant vigor with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very weak, 5 being very strong.

The second column shows the plant habit with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very close, 5 being very open.

The third column shows the fruit color with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very light green, 5 being very dark green.

The fourth column shows the fruit brightness with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 being very dull, 5 being very shinny.

The fifth column shows the fruit length with a rating from 1 to 5, 1 is being very short, 5 being very long.

The sixth column shows the yield total with an average of fruit per plant after 12 days of harvest.

TABLE 3 Yield Plant Open/close Fruit Fruit (total Name vigor plant color Brightness length fruit/pl) TOSCA 5 4 3 4 4 4.57 CRONOS 4 5 5 2 5 3.57 VN172 5 4 5 5 5 4.85 VL502 4 4 4 4 4 4.37 VM936 5 4 4 4 3 5.24

TABLE 4 Yield Plant Open/close Fruit Fruit (total Name vigor plant color Brightness length fruit/pl) CORA 4 4 3 4 4 12 CRONOS 3, 5 4 5 3 5 10.3 VN172 4 4 5 5 4 16.6 VL502 4 5 4 4 3 14.3 VK119 4 4 5 4 2 11

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood there from as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope. 

1. A seed of inbred squash line designated KAZA121, wherein a representative sample of seed of said line was deposited under NCIMB Accession No.
 41843. 2. A squash plant, or a part thereof, produced by growing the seed of claim
 1. 3. A squash plant, or a part thereof, having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred line KAZA121.
 4. A squash plant, or a part thereof, having the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred line KAZA121, wherein a representative sample of seed of said line was deposited under NCIMB Accession No.
 41843. 5. A tissue culture of regenerable cells produced from the plant of claim 2, wherein said cells of the tissue culture are produced from a plant part selected from the group consisting of embryos, meristematic cells, leaves, pollen, callus, root, root tips, sterns, anther, pistils, axillary buds, flowers, cotyledons, stalks and seeds.
 6. A squash plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 5, said plant having the morphological and physiological characteristics of inbred line KAZA121, wherein a representative sample of seed of said line was deposited under NCIMB Accession No.
 41843. 7. A method for producing a hybrid squash seed comprising crossing a first parent squash plant with a second parent squash plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid squash seed, wherein said first parent squash plant or second parent squash plant is the squash plant of claim
 2. 8. A hybrid squash seed produced by the method of claim
 7. 9. A method for producing inbred squash line KAZA121, wherein a representative sample of seed of said line was deposited under NCIMB Accession No. 41843, wherein the method comprises: a) planting a collection of seed comprising seed of a hybrid, one of whose parents is inbred line KAZA121, said collection also comprising seed of said inbred; b) growing plants from said collection of seed; c) identifying the plants having the physiological and morphological characteristics of inbred squash line KAZA121 as inbred parent plants; d) controlling pollination of said inbred parent plants in a manner which preserves the homozygosity of said inbred parent plant; and e) harvesting the resultant seed.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (c) comprises identifying plants with decreased vigor compared to the other plants grown from the collection of seeds.
 11. A method for producing an herbicide resistant plant comprising transforming the squash plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers herbicide resistance to an herbicide selected from the group consisting of imidazolinone, sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile.
 12. An herbicide resistant squash plant, or a part thereof, produced by the method of claim
 11. 13. A method for producing an insect resistant squash plant comprising transforming the squash plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers insect resistance.
 14. An insect resistant squash plant, or a part thereof, produced by the method of claim
 13. 15. A method for producing a disease resistant squash plant comprising transforming the squash plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers disease resistance.
 16. A disease resistant squash plant, or a part thereof, produced by the method of claim
 15. 17. A method of introducing a desired trait into squash inbred line KAZA121 comprising: (a) crossing a squash inbred line KAZA121 plant grown from squash inbred line KAZA121 seed, wherein a representative sample of seed has been deposited under NCIMB No. 41843, with another squash plant that comprises a desired trait to produce F₁ progeny plants, wherein the desired trait is selected from the group consisting of insect resistance, disease resistance, water stress tolerance, heat tolerance, improved shelf life, delayed senescence, and improved nutritional quality; (b) selecting one or more progeny plants that have the desired trait to produce selected progeny plants; (c) crossing the selected progeny plants with the squash inbred line KAZA121 plants to produce backcross progeny plants; (d) selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the desired trait and physiological and morphological characteristics of squash inbred line KAZA121 listed in Table 1 to produce selected backcross progeny plants; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times in succession to produce selected fourth or higher backcross progeny plants that comprise the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristics of squash inbred line KAZA121 listed in Table
 1. 18. A squash plant produced by the method of claim 17, wherein the plant has the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristics of squash inbred line KAZA121 listed in Table
 1. 19. A method for producing squash inbred line KAZA121 seed comprising crossing a first parent squash plant with a second parent squash plant and harvesting the resultant squash seed, wherein both said first and second squash plants are the squash plant of claim 2 or
 4. 20. The squash plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is herbicide resistance and the resistance is conferred to an herbicide selected from the group consisting of imidazolinone, sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile.
 21. The squash plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is insect resistance and the insect resistance is conferred by a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin.
 22. The squash plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is selected from the group consisting of insect resistance, disease resistance, water stress tolerance, heat tolerance, improved shelf life, delayed senesence, and improved nutritional quality.
 23. A method for producing a hybrid squash seed comprising crossing a first parent squash plant with a second parent squash plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid squash seed, wherein said first parent squash plant or second parent squash plant is the squash plant of claim
 18. 24. A hybrid squash plant produced by the method of claim
 23. 25. A hybrid squash plant produced by the hybrid squash seed of claim
 8. 26. A hybrid squash fruit produced by the hybrid squash plant of claim
 25. 27. A method for producing inbred squash line KAZA121 seed, wherein a representative sample of seed of said line was deposited under NCIMB Accession No. 41843, wherein the method comprises: a) planting an inbred squash seed of claim 1; b) growing a plant from said seed; c) controlling pollination in a manner that the pollen produced by the grown plant pollinates the ovules produced by the grown plant; and d) harvesting the resultant seed. 